Can Drinking Water Help You Lose Weight?
You bet it can!!!
Drinking water is one of the easiest things you can do to support your weight loss efforts. Studies have shown that drinking water raises your metabolism, and improves your fat burning rate. In fact, drinking water before a meal can help you feel more satisfied and eat less–this is scientifically proven.
Water is extremely important to our general health; A person can go for weeks without food, but only a few days without water. It plays a role in nearly every vital bodily function we have. When we do not drink enough water we cannot flush out toxins or regulate bodily functions as easily. An inability to flush out these toxins results in an increased susceptibility to disease, weight gain and premature aging.
Very often the brain mixes up the sensations of thirst and hunger… a dehydrated person may actually feel hungry! The next time you get an urge to snack between meals, drink a glass of water first-it may shock you to find that the hunger/craving disappears!
Water helps the muscles function optimally during exercise, therefore starting your exercises when you are depleted of water will reduce the efficiency of the workout.
Many diets induce a state called “natriuresis” in which the body loses water and sodium through the urine and can lead to weakness, tiredness, dizziness, and headaches. It is therefore very important to remain well hydrated.
Drinking water can also help prevent constipation which is one of the most common “unwanted effects” of being on a diet.
Bottom line: If your goal is to lose weight, we recommend staying well hydrated. There are different recommendations out there when it comes to water intake but there is no one size fits all approach to hydration. A good rule of thumb is to make sure that your urine always stays clear to very light yellow (unless you take a multivitamin of course).This is an easy habit that will pay off long term!
To your Success!
-Dr Hevi
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